Dental pliers.



J. B. McALLISTER DENTAL PLIERS.

APPLICATION man JUNE 3,1916.

1 ,21 4, 1 9'7 Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

WITNESSES INVENTOR A TTOR/VEYS rant JAMES BELLINGER MGALLISTER,

OF ST. JOHNSVILLE, NEW YORK.

DENTAL IPLIERS.

1,21%,197. Original application filed September 20,

- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

1915, Serial No. 51,570. Divided and this application filed June 3,

1916. Serial No. 101,467.

of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to pliers and par ticularly to dental pliers and is a divisional application of my prior application Serial No. 51,570, filed September 20, 1915.

The object in view is to provide an improved arrangement for holding a cord or ligature while the pliers are being operated so that knot arranged in the ligature may be drawn between adjacent teeth for causing a separation thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide improved retaining means for the ligature which may clamp the ligature at any point and hold the same under proper tension.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of pliers embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, one of the clamping nuts being removed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of part of a jaw with several teeth arranged thereon together with a. short section of cord. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary edge view of a tooth together with a ligature provided with a knot and one end of a pair of pliers associated therewith illustrating how the pliers may force the knot between adjacent teeth.

In operating on teeth, as for instance, in filling teeth, it is sometimes necessary to separate adjacent teeth to a greater or less extent in order that the operator may place a filling on the side of one tooth adjacent the next tooth. Various separating means have been provided for forcing the teeth apart but by reason of a more or less sudden or quick forcing apart of the teeth great pain is produced. Also, when a cord or ligature is used for forcing the teeth apart it is necessary for the operator to place the fingers of one hand in the mouth of the patient and where the tooth operated upon is toward the rear of the month this is very difficult.

The present invention is intended to pre sent a structure which will allow a ligature to be quickly and easily forced between any adjacent teeth and also to draw a knot between the teeth without the operator placing his fingers in the patients mouth.

Referring to the accompanying drawing by numerals, 1 and 2 indicate the handles of the pliers which merge into body portions 3 and 4:, said body portions in turn merging into jaws 5 and 6. The jaws 5' and 6 are provided with openings in the extreme ends,

preferably notches 7, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the cord or ligature 7 may be properly held in position. Arranged on the body 3 is a threaded post 8 having an enlarged roughened base 9, as shown in Fig. 2, the end of the ligature 7 being adapted to be pinched against the roughened surface of enlargement 9 by a thumb operated nut 10. The enlargement 9 may be formed integrally with the post 8 or if desired it may be arranged loosely in position and post 8 secured in any suitable way to body 3, the essential point being in providing a surface against which the ligature may be pinched which surface, if preferred, may be merely the surface of body 3 instead of member 9. On the body 1 a similar arrangement is provided to that described in regard to body 3 whereby both ends of the ligature are held against movement and are adapted to be clamped at any point.

The arrangement of the ligature in the pliers as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is such as to readily permit the operator to force the ligature between adjacent teeth. In case it is desired to spread the teeth to a consider able extent a larger ligature 11 is provided, as shown in Fig. 3, which is connected with the cord 7 and drawn between the teeth, after which a knot 12 is produced manually and then the ends threaded through the jaws 5 and 6 and secured by the clamping members heretofore described. Afterv this has been done the handles 1 and 2. are brought together and jaws 5 and 6 spread, which will cause the knot 12 to move into a position between the teeth. If the first movement for spreading the jaws does not accomplish this result some of the slack cord may be taken up and the jaws then again operated until the knot is at the proper place. If one knot is not suiiicient for producing the proper spreading of the teeth a second knot may be provided or, in fact, any number of knots may be used. By gradually increasing the amount of material placed between the teeth a gradual even provided with a serrated or roughened sec-.

spreading is produced. 7 tion, a threaded member extending from 10 What I claim is: said serrated or roughened section, and a In dental pliers of the character described, th mb member mounted 011 i threaded 5 a pair of handles merging into body pormember for gripping the end portions of a tions which in turn merge into jaws, means l gature, S j ws being adapted to carry for pivotally connecting said body portions said ligature.

together, each of said body portions being JAM-ES BELLINGER MGA'LLISTER.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." V V 

